How to pack a bale to get up to +23% gain in weight of animals

How to packa bale to get up to +23 % gain in weight of animals

Feedstuff costs are constantly rising, so the effectiveness of round balers needs to be measured not only by the number of bales produced, but also by the quality of hay produced and its impact on the bottom line.

Density of feedstuff bales

One of the key factors affecting the quality of round bales is density. A recent study from Pennsylvania State University found that dense silage bales improve the nutritional value of livestock feedstuff with less loss during packaging and storage. Feedstuff is the most expensive part of raising livestock, so retaining more nutrients and extending shelf life can make a big impact on the bottom line.

The Pennsylvania State University study also found that when producing silage bales, a baler that produces denser bales saves the farmers’ money. With dense bales, the nutritional value of the feedstuff is improved and its shelf life is increased by 25 hours.

The tighter you can pack the feedstuff, the better the fermentation will be. This is because dense bales remain cool throughout the fermentation process, reducing heat damage. The result is a high-quality product for animal feeding.
Dense bales have a longer shelf life. It happens becauses of he bale density increases, the total amount of acid released increases. Increasing the acid content allows wrapped silage bales to be stored longer.

Whether you pack feedstuff into silage bales or not, producers should always work at the highest density possible for the crop and conditions. It is more profitable to make fewer, denser bales in the field than to make more, but of lower density. It also reduces damage to plants and fields, allowing for faster and higher yields in the next harvest season.

For dry hay or bedding stored outdoors, higher-density bales maintain their round shape longer, drain water better, and absorb less moisture from the ground due to the smaller contact area, which significantly reduces spoilage. Use Polypak bale net wraps to pack your tight bales really securely and store feedstuff for a long time.

Increasing the density of bales per bale implies other savings:

Creating denser bales not only reduces harvest time, but also reduces handling, packaging and transportation costs. Simply put, denser bales cost less to harvest. You use less fuel, twine or net bale wrap and, in the case of silage bales, less stretch film.
Tight bales are the best packaging for long-term storage. They withstand weather conditions better with less loss due to their ability to drain precipitation and resistance to absorbing moisture from the ground.

Balers for feedstuff packaging

Whether you’re a part-time farmer occasionally harvesting 20 acres or a professional with 20 clients, there are many round baler options to suit your specific productivity requirements. Here we wrote about the top 3 balers in the world.

Variable chamber balers produce bales with a more uniform density regardless of bale size because the belt system maintains constant pressure on the hay throughout the harvest process. Fixed chamber balers produce bales with less dense kernels than those produced by variable chamber balers because the hay is loose in the bale chamber as it is filled. Maximum bale density is only achieved when the inside of the chamber reaches its full size.

With variable chamber balers, there are many different options that will produce even, dense bales in any size and crop.

For dense bales, balers with knives that cut through the middle of the bale are the best option. This happens during the process of its formation. As a result, the average cut of the feedstuff reaches a length of 6 inches, which is convenient for feeding and easier to digest for livestock.

Another Pennsylvania State University study found that bales with pre-cut herbs were 14 % denser than bales packed without cutting. Ultimately, baling in balers with a pre-cut system can result in a 23 % increase weight gain in cattle of the same age, as well as higher overall production performance.

If you’re looking for a way to maximize your harvest and bale density, consider a rotary cutting system. This system cuts the crop while the bale is being formed, rather than after the kernel has been formed. Blades can be sharpened and replaced, and the crop can be processed to a length of 2.5 inches from the core to the outer edge of the bale. This system is great for increasing bale density because the cut crop is packed more tightly. With a denser silage or high-moisture bale, there is more intense fermentation and less spoilage. For use as bedding, this cutting process increases absorbency and makes bales easier to separate.

There are also round balers for specialty crops and with specific other features designed to handle tough conditions and high-volume crops such as corn stalks, stover or large bales for heavy grasses.

So, when evaluating the performance of round balers, it’s worth looking at more than just the number of bales that can be produced in a day. Take full advantage of high density bales. This is an important component of productivity and one of the opportunities for greater profit.